Football yard marker



June. 18, 1957 J. K. BENFIELD, JR.. ETAL FOOTBALL YARD MARKER 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS ,[ieZZ,JT: RJY-Ea'r'nha T'JZ Filed Sept. 27,1954 ATTORNEYS June 18, 1957 J. K. BENFIELD, JR. EIAL 2,795,853

FOOTBALL YARD MARKER Filed Sept. 27, 1954 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 RZZZ' 71/4d Z1 ATTORNEY5 United States Pfltfif k 2,795,853 FOOTBALL YARD MARKERJohn K. Benfield, Jr., York, and Ray A. Earnhardt,

Roebuck, S. C.

Application September 27, 1954, Serial No. 458,376

2 Claims. (Cl. 33-46) This invention relates to a marker for use inplaying football.

An object of this invention is to provide a marker for use in indicatingthe progress of the offensive team during the course of the game, sothat the spectators can follow the game more closely. However, the"primary purpose of this invention is to provide a means for accuratelycontrolling the placement of the ball and accurately measuring firstdowns, penalties and the various factors where accurate notations by theofiicials are required.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rail longitudinally ofthe field and at one side thereof on which a movable marker engages,with the marker having changeable data for indicating the yards-to-gofor the particular series of downs, and also including a sightingelement whereby the marker may be positioned exactly in line with theleading end of the fotball.

A further object of this invention is to provide a football marker whichis relatively simple in construction and at least partly automatic inoperation 'so that the data displayed by the device will be accurate.

With the above and other objects in view, our invention consists in theararngement, combination and details of construction disclosed in thedrawings and specification and then more particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a detail side elevation of a football-yard markerconstructed according to an embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 22 ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 3-3 ofFigure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 ofFigure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 5-5 ofFigure 3.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 6-6'ofFigure 1.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on the line 7-7 of Figure5.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates generally a hollowbase of substantially inverted V-shape which has fixed thereto a tubularcolumn 11. The column 11 is provided with opposed handles 11. The base10 has rotatably disposed in the two divergent arms 12 thereof a pair ofgrooved wheels 13 which are adapted to ride on a horizontal guide rail14. The guide rail 14 is disposed slightly above the normal groundsurface 15 and has fixed to the lower side thereof at spaced intervals aplurality of base plates 16 which are fixed by anchor bolts 17 toembedded concrete blocks 18.

The base plates 16 may be levelled by inserting shims 19 between theplates 16 and the upper sides of the blocks 18. The tubular column 11has mounted on the upper end thereof a substantially rectangular housing20 which 2,795,853 Patented June 18, 1957 is formed in the opposite sidewalls 21 thereof with window openings 22. A flexible indicia-carryingweb 23 is mounted on upper and lower rollers 24 and 25 disposed in thehousing 20, and the web 23 has indicia 26 disposed on the opposite facesthereof for exposure through the window openings 22. The rollers 24 and25 are rotated to wind or unwind the web 23 by means of a chain 27. Thechain 27 is trained about a sprocket 28 fixed relative to the upperroller 24, and chain 28 also engages a roller sprocket 29 fixed relativeto the lower roller 25. I

As shown in Figure 5, the sprockets 28 and 29 are for resetting purposesdetachably coupled to the rollers 24 and 25 by means of complementarytooth clutch members 30 normally biased to engaged position by springs30'. The chain 27 extends downwardly into the column 11 as shown inFigure 3 and engages about a driving sprocket 31 fixed on a crank shaft32 having a handle 32 exteriorly of column 11. The indicia 26 is adaptedto indicate the yards-to-go for the offensive team.

A counter 33 is fixed to the column 11 betwen the upper and lower endsthereof and is operated by movement of the device along the rail 14 bymeans of a vertically disposed shaft 34 which is connected with asprocket 35 through a pair of bevelled gears 36 and 37. The sprocket 35is operated by means of a chain 38 which is trained about a lowersprocket 39 fixed relative to one of the grooved wheels 13.

The column 11 is adapted to be supported in substantially upright orvertical position by means of a collapsible leg or brace 40 which issecured between a pair of ears 41 carried by the column 11. The leg 40includes an upper short leg member 42 pivoted as at 43 to the lower longleg 44. When the leg or brace 40 is collapsed, the leg member42 is swungupwardly against the column 11.

The counter 33 is adapted to indicate the correct yardage which is to bemade by the offensive team, and the yard indication carried by thecounter 33 is duplicated by the larger indicator formed by the web 23and the indicia 26. The counter 33 is of the reset type having aresetting member 46 whereby the indications of the counter 33 may bereset to zero or any other desired numeral.

The downs of the play are indicated by means of a plurality of manuallyadjustable down-indicating rollers 47 which are carried by the housing20. These downindicating rollers 47 are vertically disposed and arepositioned between the walls 21 which are formed with window openings48. Each roller 47 is provided with pairs of differentiating colors orstripes 49 and 50 which are adapted to be exposed through the windowopenings 48. The lower ends of the rollers 47 have a toothed wheel 51secured thereto which is engaged by a manually operable roller-adjustingwheel 52.

As an example, the stripes 49 and 50 may be colored black and whiterespectively or any other color which differentiates from the color ofthe housing 20. When one down has been completed, the first or outerroller 47 is turned so as to expose the differentiating color; and asthe downs proceed, the succeeding rollers 47 are also turned.

The structure hereinbefore described has a pair of hooks 53 secured tothe opposite ends of the base 10 with which a flexible yard-marking line54 is adapted to be connected. The line 54 is a ten-yard line, and theouter end of the line 54 has a U-shaped member 55 secured thereto whichincludes afiag 56 secured to a spring or flexible stalf 57. The staff 57is secured to the horizontal portion of the anchoring member 55. Asshown in Figure 2, the vertical ground-piercing points 58 of theanchoring member 55 have plates 59 secured thereto :soasto limit theprojection of the legs 58 into theground.

The position of the marker hereinbefore described is spotted by means ofa spotting powder which is released from a deliverytube 60. Tube 60extends downwardly from the base 10 and from a powder receptacle 61disposed in the upper portion of base 10. The receptacle 61 includes acover plate 62 disposed on the outer upper portion ofthe base 10.

Delivery valve 63 is disposed at the upper end'of the tube 60 within thereceptacle 61, and the valve 63 is secured to the lower end of avalve-operating rod 64 which extends vertically and upwardly in thecenter of column 11. The upper end of the rod 64 has secured thereto avalve-operating lever or trigger 65 which is spring pressed so as tomaintain the valve 63 in normal closed position.

In the use and operation of this device, the guide rail 14 is mounted ina channel laterally of one side line of the playing field. When thefootball is placed on the ground at the end of a play, the ball isspotted by means of a spotter or sighting member 66 which is mounted ona horizontal shaft 67 extending through the column 11. The exactposition of the ball is determined by means of a pair of crossed wires68 disposed in the tubular spotting member 66. When the correct positionof the ball has been determined, the flexible line 54 is extendedoutwardly to its full length which is ten yards from the marking tube60, and the anchoring member 55 is then pressed downwardly into theground with the flag 56 held by the flexible or spring staff 57.

In the event the play progresses forwardly, the structure hereinbeforedescribed is moved progressively forwardly after first spotting theinitial ball position by discharging powder through the pipe 60.

If the offensive team should lose ground so that more than ten yardsmust be made in the series of downs, the yard-marking line 54 isuncoupled from the adjacent hook 53 and the structure embodying the base10 and the column 11 is then moved backward until the device is indirect line with the forward or leading end of the ball which is spottedthrough the sighting member 66.

As the device is moved forward or backward on the rail or guide 14, thecounter 33 will indicate the correct yards to be gained and the operatorof the device will then turn the crank shaft 32 so that the yardsindicated by the counter 33 will be duplicated by the 'indicia 26.

What is claimed is:

1. A football marker comprising a horizontal rail disposed lengthwise ofthe playing area, a hollow base member, -a pair "of grooved wheelscarried by said "base member and engaging over said rail, a hollowcolumn rising from said base, a changeable exhibitor carried by theupper end of said column, said exhibitor comprising upper and lowerhorizontal rollers, a flexible indiciabearing web wound about saidrollers, an operator for said rollers disposed in said column, aflexible connection between said operator and said .rollers, a pluralityof down-indicating rollers disposed in vertical side-by-side relation,anZl'a separate adjusting means for each of said down-indicatingrollers, and a ball-sighting member carried by said column.

2. A football marker comprising a horizontal rail disposed lengthwise ofthe "playing area, a hollow base member, grooved wheels carried by saidbase member engaging said rail, a tubular column carried by said basemember, a rectangular housing at the upper end of said column, saidhousing having opposed vertical sides formed with a plurality of windowopenings, a vertical indicia-bearing web exposed through a pair of saidopenings, a plurality of vertical down-indicating rollers rotat ablycarried by'said housing and exposed thorugh the remaining ones of saidopenings, upper and lower winding rollers for said web, a rolleroperator carried by said column, a flexible connection between saidoperator and said rollers, a linear indicator carried by said column,and an operative connection between said linear indicator and one ofsaid wheels.

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